Talk:Fender Starcaster

Can we have an official photo?
When people go on the page the first thing they think of is the first image they see, or in the case of this page, the only one that they see. Anyone care to upload a decent image for the actual 70's guitar? I'm noob at uploading images and getting the sources etc. so I can't do much myself. --68.33.143.235 (talk) 00:18, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

Stratocaster Imitatation
I have seen a cheaper and lower quality version of the Stratocaster guitar that goes by the name Starcaster, there is no seperate link or seperate article and I am suggesting that there be one.

Yes, that's the one I just bought at Target, my first electric. I didn't know about the confusing nomenclature until now. Very strange. --josta59

70.142.43.50 00:39, 27 June 2007 (UTC)The Starcaster that Fender is currently making is not at all like the older guitars. The ones produced now that you can find in department stores, some music stores, toys r us, and on ebay where they are being passed off as Strats by unethical sellers are... Im sorry but pretty much the bottom of the line of Fender products. Even a lower quality than the plywood body made in China Squier's.

"Starcaster® by Fender®"
The first "Starcaster® by Fender®" page archived from Fender.com at archive.org was in November 2006 and the last June 2007. There was a pointy-headed Starcaster electric as well as the Stratocaster copy, and the range included acoustics and drums. I've not been able to track down a picture of the pointy guitar on the archived http://www.fender.com/starcaster/starcaster.php pages, but if you're quick you'll find one at overstock.com. The pointy headstock was very like the old Swinger/Arrow, but the blue metallic example I saw at Costco (UK) had the scratchplate screws overtightened until the (mirror finish) scratchplate cracked.

It looks as though that sub-Squier range has now been withdrawn. The archived page for one of the Strat Packs says: "Starcaster® Strat® Pack Three-Tone Sunburst with Rosewood Neck 0283003"

"This Starcaster by Fender Pack delivers a hot-sounding, hot-looking 3-Color Sunburst Stratocaster® electric guitar, paired with a compact but still mighty Squier® SP-10 guitar amplifier."

"The guitar features a maple neck with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, three single-coil pickups with 5-way switching, a synchronous tremolo bridge, die-cast tuners, chrome hardware and a three-ply white pickguard. Other accessories included are a 10’ cable, digital tuner, gigbag, Hal Leonard instructional DVD, guitar strap, pick sampler, set of replacement strings and a setup/adjustment sheet."

"Available exclusively at Best Buy locations."
 * Black says "Available exclusively at Target stores""
 * Black Metallic says "Available exclusively at Sam's Club locations."
 * Black Cherry Burst Flame Maple Top says "Available exclusively at Costco locations." - NickS 22:42, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Languedoc Guitars
This may or may not be of interest, but Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio played a hollow-body guitar custom-built by luthier Paul Languedoc which was partially based on the starcaster design. Languedoc built three over the course of Phish's career, then started Languedoc Guitars and manufactured a number of replicas of the Trey guitar.

Check out the webpage: http://www.languedocguitars.com/gallery/gallery2_thumbs

I don't know if it's relevant to the page, but it's pretty interesting that he's sold out his whole first run of guitars (all priced ridiculously at $10,000) based on the popularity of Phish. When it comes down to it, it's still just a basic (albeit solidly built) hollow-body. I remember some hardcore Phish fans would get luthiers to custom make them imitation Trey guitars, using the same wood, hardware, etc.

WikiProject class rating
This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 16:36, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

Dead link
With geocities dying sometime last year, the external link to that advertisement is unfortunately dead. Can't replace it, so haven't removed, but should be fixed somehow. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.3.109.157 (talk) 00:34, 2 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Found another at Vintageguitars.com - NickS (talk) 11:49, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Photo available now
Hi, as a lucky owner of a Starcaster for almost 25 years I added a pic to wikimedia commons under the category "Fender Guitars", titled "Fender Starcaster.jpg", but someone else will have to add the photo to the article. So long, Rembert--Tasmer (talk) 18:00, 28 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Well, surprisingly enough, I did it!--Tasmer (talk) 18:55, 28 May 2010 (UTC)

Starcaster Bass
The article mentions that Fender toyed with the idea of a Starcaster Bass. While information on Starcaster Basses is very scarce, I have been able to locate at least one example. The Chicago Music Exchange has one listed for $20,000. I've also found discussions in forums in which posters mentioned playing one. I haven't been able to find anything solid or citable, though.Mtlasater (talk) 01:05, 5 June 2012 (UTC)

Notable users
If a guitarist's use of the Starcaster is deemed notable, they can be added on the following conditions (which are perfectly conventional in Wikipedia articles): a. they need to have an article here (no article, no entry); b. there needs to be a reliable, secondary source stating that they used this guitar--preferably in a notable manner. I just removed the entire list, since its sourcing varied from Facebook pages to individual photographs of the person with (supposedly) a Starcaster--and that's primary sourcing at best. Drmies (talk) 18:05, 7 January 2013 (UTC)

Wrong Photo
Can someone please add a photo of an ACTUAL Fender Starcaster from the 70s to replace the two photos of cheap strats?

Updates?
Two things about this article seem to need updating. Firstly, that the use of the name "Starcaster" for Fender's lowest budget line of Indonesian-made guitars is no more, as they simply market them as Squires now. I've added mention of this to the article.

Speaking of Squire, the dropping of the name for the budget line seems to have been done in part because the semi-hollow Starcaster is once again in production as part of the Squire brand. That probably needs to be mentioned in this article. oknazevad (talk) 01:48, 15 September 2020 (UTC)